On 19th March, four National Guard members were ambushed by Internal Security units. The subsequent clashes, which drew in additional forces from both sides, represents one of the most significant exchanges of violence since interim authorities’ attack on Suwayda and the ensuing ceasefire agreement in July 2025—not least because it drew a response from Israel, which targeted military sites in south Syria in retaliation. Though significant, the incident is not expected to threaten the ceasefire agreement. Although both sides were watching bigger regional events with Israel’s military campaigns in Iran and Lebanon to gauge their calculations moving forward, the current situation means that Suwayda will likely remain gridlocked as before, defined by intermittent armed exchanges often related to local dynamics and political wrangling between the two sides over administration, appointments and legitimacy.
Background
In July 2025 pro-government forces initiated a major offensive against Druze-majority Suwayda, resulting in serious human rights abuses and mass displacements. A ceasefire went into effect late July, but tensions between Suwayda and Damascus have remained high. This is in part because the violence in July was also notable for the intervention of Israel, which launched a series of airstrikes targeting pro-government forces and sites for the stated protection of the Druze population.
In the aftermath of the fighting, senior Druze cleric Sheikh Hijmat al-Hijri received a boost in local support for his opposition to the offensive. Al-Hijri and his inner circle is affiliated with the Suwayda National Guard, a Druze factional umbrella founded in August 2025.
March Clashes & Ceasefire Violations
Four National Guard members ambushed in the early hours of 19th March by pro-government forces and affiliated tribal militias between the western Suwayda villages of Bakka and Bured. Both villages are located within 3 kilometers of front-line positions manned by interim security forces since violence in Suwayda last year. Two National Guard fighters died in the ensuing clashes, while the remaining men were ultimately able to return, wounded, into Suwayda proper. Preliminary information suggests the ambush formed part of bolstered counter-smuggling operations by Internal Security in the south. Regardless of the cause, however, the incident represents one of the most significant exchanges of violence since interim authorities’ attack on Suwayda and the ensuing ceasefire agreement in July last year.
Both sides subsequently bolstered their forces in the area. Factions from Suwayda headed to the western countryside to counter the ambush and attempted to retrieve the bodies of National Guard members. As a result, clashes soon escalated, during which several additional Druze fighters were injured. Pro-government forces deployed two UAVs to target Druze formations: one was shot down by National Guard forces in Bakka, the other resulted in the injury of a Druze fighter in Bakka. From that point through 19th March, National Guard forces reinforced the entire southern axis of Suwayda, increasing the number of their positions and personnel to secure the area from any breach by pro-government forces and to prevent Druze factions from trying to reach the western countryside to retaliate.
Israel conducted several airstrikes targeting interim Ministry of Defense infrastructure in response to the violence. According to an Israeli military statement, Israeli forces “attacked a headquarters and combat equipment in military camps belonging to the Syrian regime” in south Syria, “in response to the events that took place in Suwayda yesterday, which…included attacks on Druze citizens.”
While the 19th March clashes were notable for involving close-quarter ground clashes and drones, the past two weeks have witnessed a noticeable number of ceasefire violations, albeit mostly late-night exchanges of fire at a distance that were generally not expected to turn into broader conflagrations. ETANA documented up to 10 attacks since 18th March.
Other Military & Political Dynamics
The office of Suwayda governor Mustafa al-Bakour announced that from 29th March a Civil Registry office would begin operations in the governorate building in the government-controlled northern Suwayda town of Al-Sourah al-Saghirah. The announcement stated that Suwayda residents needing to obtain state documents should travel there. As such, the statement can be seen as part of more longstanding attempts by central authorities in Damascus to parse away legitimacy and official responsibilities from local authorities in Suwayda.
Elsewhere, interim authorities and local bodies in Suwayda continue to wrangle for legitimacy through local administration. A local scuffle broke out in the town of Rassas, in which residents fired shots in the air before town elders intervened, after an appointment, a week prior, of Benjamin Nasr as head of the municipal council by Mustafa al-Bakour. This appointment was rejected by the Supreme Legal Committee, a relatively new body aligned with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri.
